


The Twelve Gifts of an Admirer

by MxEnby (RainbowSlushee)



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Universe - Weyoun 6 Lives, F/M, Fluff, GIFTS AND FUZZY FEELING AND A GLITTER BOMB, Secret Admirer, Weyoun gets Ezri a lot of gifts, and didn't even mean to be, because he's smooth as hell, but also really sweet, but doesn't really understand the concept of gift-giving, he's just really freaking adorable, how do I tag this?, so there isn't nearly enough Weyoun in this, so they're pretty weird
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 04:15:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13227879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowSlushee/pseuds/MxEnby
Summary: When Ezri's called into Sisko's office one morning, the last thing she's expecting is for the cause of her summons to be a...toothbrush?Or the one where the good people of DS9 keep finding odd gifts laying around for a certain Trill counselor.





	The Twelve Gifts of an Admirer

**Author's Note:**

> So here I am again, literally writing until the last freaking minute despite my best attempts at getting things done earlier. Oh well, new tradition I guess. Anyways, tada! This is one of two gift fics I wrote this year for the Star Trek Secret Santa.
> 
> This one is for Elcie (hyperlightrifter) who asked for Ezri/Weyoun 6. Weyoun doesn't actually show up until the end, which kinda sucks, but I hope that KNOWING he's behind everything is enough. And Odo is so in on it. Garak, too. Shh.
> 
> It's obviously an AU because HELLO Weyoun 6 (who never should have died, anyways), so let's say this takes place after the war which ended pretty quickly once Weyoun 6 had gotten to safety. Everyone's still on the station, everything's still running as usual, everyone is HAPPY. And everyone has accepted Weyoun 6 on board the station. So there.

 

She finds the first gift waiting for her when she's called into Sisko's office at the start of her shift. At least she _thinks_  it's meant to be a gift, if the simple blue ribbon tied into a bow is any indication. Captain Sisko and Constable Odo are both staring her down as she approaches the Captain's desk.

 

"Care to explain, Lieutenant?" Sisko's voice is calm and almost neutral, but the use of her rank tells her he's not exactly pleased at the moment.

 

"It's a toothbrush. Sir."

 

The Constable hums and moves to stand next to Ezri. "It's a toothbrush addressed to you with a note handwritten in Trill," he says, passing her a simple folded piece of paper. "So, either the person who left it here is also a Trill, or they've gone through an awful lot of trouble just to give you a toothbrush. An admirer, perhaps?"

 

Ezri quickly reads through the words on the paper in her hand and awkwardly clears her throat.

 

"Um, it would appear so, Constable. Apparently I have a nice smile and someone wanted to make sure it stayed, you know, _nice_."

 

It doesn't take long for Ezri to figure out her mystery gifter isn't a Trill, and not just because it takes her less than an hour to rule out every other Trill currently aboard the station. It's in the way the note is written, the sentence structures and grammar so formal it's almost wrong, and in the way the letters themselves have been written down.

 

They're stilted and almost too clean in form, as if the writer were overly concerned about drawing each line of each letter of each word perfectly, and it leaves a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. Whoever had left the gift and note for her clearly _had_  put in a lot of effort and, though she may have never considered a toothbrush to have any use as part of a romantic gesture, if that's what it'd been, it was still...sweet.

 

It's a little less sweet a few hours later when security is called to the Promenade in response to reports of an explosion.

 

They arrive to find Ezri, Worf, and everything and everyone within twenty meters of them covered in a layer of Vulcan glitter powder. Who knew the stuff even existed?

 

* * *

 

Sending an apologetic look to the Bajoran man whose lunch she's just sprinkled with glitter in passing, Ezri hurries through Quark's to the most isolated table available given the time, and sighs when the tabletop receives it's own dusting of glitter as she sits.

 

"Exciting morning?" Quark's voice sounds from behind her and she smiles briefly despite herself as she swipes at the tabletop.

 

"You could say that," she says without looking up from what she's doing.

 

"How about a pick-me-up?"

 

Ezri does look up then, turning towards Quark and preparing to decline whatever drink he's no doubt hoping to offer her, but she stops when he drops a bowl of blueberries and what appears to be a jar of honey in front of her.

 

"Um..." She trails off as she lifts the small jar for a closer look. "I didn't order this."

 

"I know."

 

"Okay, so why are they here?"

 

"Because Morn asked me to bring them to you, and you can't say no to Morn."

 

This has the Trill squinting in confusion for a few moments. "Morn asked you to give me Terran blueberries and...is this honey?"

 

Quark nods. "Yeah apparently someone else asked him to make sure they got to you. Wouldn't say who though. The one time he keeps his mouth shut, am I right? Oh, and also-" The bartender quickly pats himself down before reaching into an inside breast pocket and pulling out a partially crushed rolled piece of paper tied with a familiar blue ribbon. "This. No idea what it says, though. I'm assuming it's written in Trill?"

 

Ezri takes the note with a growing smile but pauses in the middle of untying the ribbon. "You looked at the note? Of course you looked at the note."

 

She rolls her eyes as she unrolls the paper and takes in the words written in a stilted scrawl as familiar as the blue ribbon. She stops reading halfway through, though, and tilts her head to the side as a shadow falls over her.

 

"Can I help you, Quark?"

 

"I just said I couldn't read the thing, so you're going to have to tell me what it says."

 

The counselor simply stares at the man who stares back expectantly, making a general flapping motion towards the note when she takes too long to continue.

 

"Really, Quark? Haven't you ever heard of privacy? No, wait, stupid question."

 

"Come on, between whatever it is that had you being called into Ops this morning, which I heard about, yes, the excitement that followed, and now this? Something's going on, and if something's going on I need to know about it."

 

Ezri sighs but ends up smiling again and skims over the note in her hands. "Blueberries are blue, like my eyes and, um..." She trails off, smile turning shy and color rising to her cheeks. "They're also small and sweet, and if I covered them in honey then they'd be doubly sweet, but, uh, still not as sweet as me?"

 

Quark gasps and clutches at his chest dramatically. "Our dear Ezri has a secret suitor? How _sweet!_ "

 

"Shut up, Quark."

 

* * *

 

Ezri is walking the Promenade in search of Morn to thank him for playing middle man when she spots him in Garak's shop, and she enters just as Garak is leading the Lurian towards the dressing area.

 

"I'm telling you it's _perfect_. The material is both liquid-proof and stain-resistant, so no more worrying about any little accidents at the bar. If you miss your mouth? No problem! Just carry on as if nothing had happened!" Garak shoves Morn into a dressing room and pulls the curtain closed. "Not that you don't do so already."

 

Garak inhales deeply and exhales slowly before donning his plain-and-simple customer service smile and turning to address Ezri.

 

"Counselor, what an absolute pleasure to see you! In fact, I'd rather been hoping you'd stop by."

 

"You were?"

 

The tailor nods and begins weaving his way towards the shops front counter. "Indeed. And it would seem that I wasn't the only one hoping you'd visit my shop."

 

Garak glides behind the counter and pulls some kind of tool out from behind it, placing it on the counter between them and presenting it with a flourish. The first thing Ezri notices is the blue ribbon tied around the handle, and Garak produces a small envelope from who-knows-where.

 

"Oh."

 

The Cardassian hums in agreement and passes the envelope over.

 

"From your Courtier, I assume?"

 

"My what? Oh! Oh, yes, it would appear to be. How did you-"

 

Garak cuts her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I hear things."

 

"Of course."

 

Ezri starts pulling the envelope open and hears Garak hum thoughtfully.

 

"I'm afraid I can't read Trill, not that I'd look in the first place, so I can't be certain but I believe that you've been given some sort of gardening tool. Bajoran, by the looks of it."

 

Ezri isn't really listening as she reads the note, smile stretching across her face. She catches the last part of what Garak says, though, and she clears her throat while trying to minimize her grin.

 

She fails.

 

"Correct as usual, Mister Garak." Her eyes pass over the words again before settling on her newest gift. "I'm supposed to use it to plant some flowers. My, um, _Courtier_  had apparently been asking around and learned that flowers are traditionally given as a show of affection in many cultures, but didn't think I'd like any of the ones for sale on the station. You know, because they're dead."

 

She grabs the small shovel-like tool and pulls the ribbon from it, passing it between her fingers softly before placing it in her pocket.

 

"They thought I'd prefer to grow my own flowers. That way I could watch them bloom and enjoy them longer. Since they'd be alive."

 

"Thoughtful _and_  logical."

 

Ezri bites her lip through her smile and nods her head. "Yeah, they are- I mean, it is." She's grateful when he ignores her slip up, smiling politely as she begins fidgeting with her gift. "Only thing is that not a single Dax host has ever had a green thumb, so I wouldn't know what to plant. You used to be a gardener or something, before you were a tailor, right?"

 

Garak's smile grows genuine as he reaches down and begins rifling through whatever he keeps behind the counter. "We'll go with 'or something', but it just so happens that I have a PADD here listing a number of very beautiful flowers along with detailed planting instructions for each."

 

Garak pulls out the aforementioned PADD and offers it to Ezri who takes it with a raised eyebrow.

 

"You just _happened_  to have this lying around?"

 

"One must always be prepared for anything."

 

"Of course. Thank you."

 

"Think nothing of it. Now, what can I help you with?"

 

Ezri frowns in confusion. "Sorry?"

 

"Your reason for visiting my shop. A dress, perhaps, for a night out with a certain special someone? Or even some silk lingerie to show off once the date's moved to a more private setting?"

 

"Oh! Right!" Ezri tries not to think of the theoretical date night the older man had just put in her head, but the heat she feels creeping over her face is a testament to her success, or lack thereof. "Well, to be honest, I was actually looking for Morn. To thank him."

 

"I see! Lucky for your friend, then, that you found him here so I could deliver their gift."

 

"Yes, it was. I had no idea Morn was a customer of yours. In fact, I seem to know a lot about him yet very little at the same time. What does he even do on the station?"

 

"He keeps Quark in business."

 

It's at this moment that the barfly himself exits his dressing room with a torn tunic in his hands, and Garak squawks in a very ferengi-like way.

 

"And he's going to put me _out_  of business! What did you do?!"

 

The frantic tailor scrambles across the room and snatches the material from Morn, fussing over the ruined garment. He begins alternating between hissing to himself and hissing at Morn, and Ezri figures it's a pretty good time to leave.

 

She'll thank Morn later.

 

* * *

 

Ezri calls for Julian's assistance in her quarters just after his shift ends for the day, and he finds her crouched in front of her coffee table, staring into a glass enclosure of some kind. He approaches her and kneels at her side for a better look.

 

"Is that a slug?"

 

"Yup." Ezri taps the glass softly. "It's from somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant. Apparently."

 

"Right," Julian says, dragging the word out. "Why do you have a slug?"

 

"It has spots. Like me."

 

When she doesn't elaborate any further Julian turns to her in confusion, and the first thing he registers is the soft look and gentle smile on her face. The second thing he notices is the small piece of paper laid out on the table next to a rather large bow made out of blue ribbon.

 

"It was a gift." It's not really a question but Ezri nods anyway. "From your secret admirer."

 

"Uh huh."

 

"Okay." Julian jerks his head in a quick nod before realizing something and squinting at his friend. "Wait, you didn't call me down here for a slug, did you?"

 

"Well, they didn't even know what it was. My, you know, _admirer_ ," she says, absentmindedly tapping the note in front of her. "And the only reason _I_  knew it was some kind of slug was because of that time when a very large slug family caused the life support systems to malfunction aboard the shuttle Emony was traveling on. Or was that Tobin? Anyways, I was hoping you could make sure it's, like, healthy? And actually a slug? I don't even know what slugs eat."

 

"I'm a doctor, not a specialist on gastropods!"

 

"Come on, Julian! You must know _something_."

 

"Well," Julian says, face shifting into an expression well known by many, and Ezri realizes that she could have worded things a little better. "Most of the slugs I know of are generalists. They'll eat just about anything organic, I think, including other slugs. Except for that one species we found in the Vareya System which consumed nothing but minerals and sediments. Took us for _ever_ to get the roundabout freed after the seemingly solid area of ground that we'd landed on turned out being nearly hollowed out by the slimy devils. And I do mean _slimy_. Getting a shuttle out of a hole in the ground is hard enough when everything and everyone isn't covered in-"

 

"Julian!"

 

Julian's mouth audibly snaps shut and he grimaces. "Right. Sorry. Uh, anyways, it doesn't look like your little friend here is a rock-eater, so any kind of vegetation should be a safe bet. I'd also recommend you keep it away from those flowers you're planning to grow."

 

"You heard about that? Wow, gossip spreads through the station faster than the Ankaran Flu."

 

Julian groans and drops his head down against Ezri's shoulder. " _Please_  don't ever mention Ankaran Flu around me. Ever."

 

Ezri laughs and pats the doctors head before going back to staring at her new pet. "Who do you think it is? The person giving me gifts and notes, I mean."

 

Julian lifts his head and squints in consideration. "Not sure. I know who it isn't, but that doesn't help much when there are thousands of people on the station. Oh! I almost forgot!"

 

Ezri startles when her friend jumps to his feet and shoves a hand in his pants pocket.

 

"Oh, not you, too!"

 

The young Trill can't help but laugh, though, as Julian retrieves a small package wrapped in blue ribbon and an envelope with Ezri's name spelled out in her unknown admirer's steadily improving handwriting. She takes both items and immediately begins to open the envelope.

 

"I didn't notice it at first and have no idea how long, exactly, it'd been there because it was among the infirmary medical supplies and it _is_  an infirmary medical supply."

 

Ezri glances at the gift before going back to the note. "A medical bandage?"

 

"For wrapping a wound, yes. I'd have missed it entirely if not for the ribbon. In fact, I think your _friend_  may have just wrapped one of the infirmary's bandages with ribbon and stuck the note in with it. I tracked down Odo as soon as I found it because I _know_  that it wasn't there at the start of my shift, since I did an inventory check, which means that someone managed to get in and out without being seen by any of the nurses or me, but Odo didn't seem overly concerned about it. Or concerned at all, really, and Odo's never _not_  concerned about a potential security threat. You think he knows who's been sending you gifts? Or rather, who's been leaving gifts for you laying around the station. I mean, if anyone _does_  know, it would be Odo. Or Garak. But he'd also be the last person to tell me anything. Oh! You think Odo's actually in on it?"

 

Julian takes a deep breath and waits for an answer, but Ezri's attention is solely on the paper in her hands, silly grin once again present on her face.

 

"Ezri?"

 

The young woman snaps out of her trance and visibly shakes herself before turning to Julian. "Sorry?"

 

The talkative man sighs and shakes his head. "Nothing. Just going off on another one of my rambling word dumps. So, what's it say, then, that's got you so enthralled?"

 

Ezri blushes again and wow, if this keeps up her face is going to turn red permanently.

 

"Not much," she says, putting the note back into it's envelope. "They just want to make sure I'm alright. Being a Starfleet officer means there's always the potential for something to go wrong and for me to not be alright. Bandages help make things better when something's gone wrong, so they wanted me to have one."

 

"To make sure you're okay if something bad happens."

 

Ezri nods and stands before heading towards a corner of the room. Julian rises as well and follows his friend.

 

"Okay, I admit, what they've been giving you and _why_  is pretty sweet. Weird, too, like _really_  weird, but still sweet. You know, aside from the security issues because _hello_ , if they can set off a glitter bomb on the Promenade then they could probably do a lot worse. Like a _real_  bomb. Unless Odo _is_  in on it and- oh, nice basket."

 

The basket in question is sitting on the floor with multiple pieces of blue ribbon, half a dozen notes, and most of the gifts Ezri had received resting inside of it. She places her most recent gift and note with the rest and grins at Julian.

 

"Thanks! I found it outside when I got here after my shift. It's for holding whatever needs to be held," she says matter-of-factly and with a nod. "So I thought it fitting to keep my gifts in it."

 

"You know, even a day ago I'd've thought the idea of a basket actually _being_  a gift to be insulting, but after everything so far I can't even bring myself to be surprised."

 

* * *

 

Ezri wakes the next morning to the sound of her comm badge chirping a rather unpleasant tune and the Captain's voice barking an even more unpleasant _request_  for her immediate presence in Ops. She rushes through getting ready for the day and finds herself jogging through the station nearly an hour before her alarm usually goes off.

 

She hurries into Ops and is about to ask what's happened when she's greeted by her own reflection, and it's suddenly very clear why she's been called in. Silence fills the mostly empty room as Ezri stands frozen to the spot, watching her own mouth work around words that fail to become audible.

 

A large square mirror is propped upon one of the work stations, measuring over a meter in each direction, and haphazardly wrapped in an incredibly long length of blue ribbon.

 

"It's a mirror," is the first thing the floundering woman manages to say, and she cringes at her own reflection.

 

"Yes it is." The Captain's voice startles her and she cringes again when she meets his eyes.

 

"I'm sorry, sir."

 

"Just get it out of here. Now."

 

Ezri nods and plucks a folded piece of paper from where it's laid against the frame, carefully stowing it in her pocket before turning to the mirror itself.

 

"Well, it's time to see just what this little body of mine can do."

 

Which is, as it turns out, not much.

 

Ezri's grateful that the station hasn't awakened yet as she drags the mirror through the Promenade towards her quarters, grunting and heaving and pleading with the framed glass to _please don't fall, please, please, please_.

 

"Whoa, there!"

 

Julian's sudden exclamation breaking the morning hush has Ezri screaming, and the only thing that keeps the mirror from falling and adding to the mess still left over from the previous morning's glitter bomb is Julian's enhanced reflexes.

 

"Sorry! Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you, really!" Julian shifts the mirror to a more balanced angle before preparing to lift it from the ground. "I was just surprised, you see, since there aren't usually many people up at this time, least of all anyone dragging a mirror around and- my _God_ , I think this thing's heavier than you are!"

 

"I'm aware."

 

Julian looks the mirror over and follows the ribbon wrapped over and under and around it with his eyes.

 

"Another gift?"

 

"No, I just enjoy lugging around mirrors that outweigh me," she says with an eye-roll.

 

The doctor whistles lowly and takes a step away from the testy Trill. "My, someone's in quite the mood."

 

Ezri sighs. "I'm sorry, Julian, it's just that I got woken up before my alarm by Captain Sisko ordering me directly to Ops where he then ordered me to get the mirror out of there. _Now_."

 

"This thing was left in Ops? Who the bloody hell are we dealing with, here?"

 

"I don't know but I hope they aren't planning to send a piano next."

 

"I'll have Worf on standby just in case."

 

Ezri can't stop the laugh as the image of Worf dragging a piano through the station, still covered in glitter, flashes in her mind. "I think Worf's had enough excitement recently to last him a lifetime."

 

"Probably." Julian looks the gift over again. "So, why a mirror?"

 

"I don't know," she says, digging in her pocket for the note. "Sisko didn't exactly give me time to read this." She pulls out the folded paper and waves it for Julian to see.

 

"Right, then." Julian nods far too enthusiastically given the hour and shifts his grip on the mirror. "You read that while I get this to your quarters. That's where you were going, right?"

 

Ezri nods and Julian immediately begins marching the mirror down the Promenade, Ezri following while flipping the note open.

 

Julian's in the middle of detailing his recent attempts at finding a cure for Darnay's Disease when he notices that Ezri has fallen behind. He smirks knowingly and turns back, setting the mirror down near his friend in order to peer over her shoulder.

 

"That's a long one. So, what has our odd, yet unexpectedly charming, love-struck stalker have to say this time? Besides 'a lot', because that's quite obvious."

 

Ezri glances at Julian and shoves her shoulder into him. "Hush. Okay, well, apparently they've never actually given anyone a gift before-"

 

" _Shocking_."

 

" _Hush_ , you! Anyways, they've never given a gift, right? So they don't know much about the, um, custom."

 

Julian scoffs. "That's about as obvious as this mirror is heavy. That is to say, very."

 

"Julian!" Ezri takes a swipe at his head and is satisfied when she catches an ear. " _As I was saying_ , it turns out they've been asking around, for advice and suggestions and stuff. They were talking with Odo-"

 

"I _knew_  he was in on it!" Ezri glares and Julian holds a hand up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. It's just- at least it means that your stalker friend isn't dangerous, right? Hopefully."

 

"Yes, yes, well, they were talking with Odo and he was telling them about, um, nick-nacks? Apparently neither of them understand the need for ornaments and souvenirs that have little use beyond looking pretty, but Odo explained that we often enjoy things just because they're nice to look at."

 

"So they got you a giant mirror? Because it's nice to look at?"

 

At this Ezri finds herself blushing furiously. "Not exactly. Um, well, they, uh, they got me a mirror so that I could look at _me_. Because they think I'm pretty and nice to look at."

 

Julian takes a moment to stare at his friend. " _Damn_. I think _I'm_  starting to fall for your stalker friend."

 

Ezri giggles and shoves her shoulder into Julian again. "Don't worry, I won't tell Garak."

 

* * *

 

Ezri is in Quark's for lunch, enjoying a sandwich with a side of blueberries and actively ignoring Quark's leering, when the clearing of a throat has her looking up to find Chief O'Brien standing beside her awkwardly.

 

"Oh, hello Chief. How are you?"

 

"Fine, I'm fine. But I, uh, found this in with my tools, and I think it might be yours? Sure ain't mine."

 

Ezri sits up straighter as O'Brien pulls out some kind of tool and passes it to her. A piece of paper is tied to the handle by the infamous blue ribbon, and she inspects the unfamiliar object in her hands.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Oh, it's an old Earth tool called a screwdriver, from back when we used non-powered tools. And screws. Bit of an odd gift, innit?

 

Ezri shrugs and pulls the note free. "Major Kira tracked me down a few hours ago to give me an empty perfume bottle she'd found waiting for me in the Bajoran Temple, of all places."

 

"An empty perfume bottle? Why would someone give you an _empty_  perfume bottle?"

 

"Because I already smell nice." She's gotten better at telling other people about her gifts and manages to do so this time with only the faintest amount of heat blooming in her cheeks.

 

"Oh, that's _good_. You think it'd work if I got Keiko an empty bottle, too?"

 

Ezri rolls her eyes and ignores him. "What does it mean when there's a, um, loosened screw somewhere?"

 

"A loose screw?"

 

"Yeah. My, uh, friend has been trying to learn more about me, like what sorts of things I do during the day. They gave me a screwdriver to supposedly help me at work because someone told them that I help people whose screws are loose."

 

The Chief finds himself laughing so hard that he has to leave the bar, forcing Ezri to consult a computer for further clarification. Her own laughter ends up rivaling O'Brien's and probably could have be heard by half the station.

 

* * *

 

It's nearing the end of her shift when Odo calls Ezri down to his office. Her suspicions about why are confirmed when she arrives to find a very large jar sitting in the middle of Odo's desk. The blue ribbon that's wrapped around it is tied into a complex looking bow and an envelope rests atop it's lid.

 

"I assume I don't have to tell you that _this_ ," the Constable says, nodding towards the jar, "has been left for you."

 

Ezri simply shrugs and reaches for the envelope, placing it to the side for the moment in favor of lifting the jar to eye-level for a closer look. The thing's larger than her head and full of random small items. She glances at Odo who's standing stone-faced as usual, though she would swear that's holding back a smile, and puts the jar down again. She grabs the envelope, pulls open the notes, and feels her body grow warm and fuzzy in a way that's become quite familiar these past few days.

 

"I suppose, based on what I've observed," Odo says, "that now is the time where I'm supposed to ask you what your infatuated pursuer has written."

 

Ezri laughs and shakes her head. " _Infatuated pursuer._ That's a new one." She places the note in her pocket and lifts the jar again. "While asking around for gift ideas, someone suggested getting me something that reminded them of me. They like to collect random things they find around the station and figured it made the most sense to give me everything they've collected because I'm always on their mind so everything reminds them of me."

 

And she does mean _everything_ ; she's spotted bits of wire, a number of bolts, two Lobi crystals, string, a poker chip and...latinum? Yup, there are at least three slips thrown in there and, oh, that hair pin is _beautiful_. The randomness is fascinating from a general point of view but also from the professional point of view of a counselor. It's also rather familiar, and she's gone from identifying the various objects to sorting through her own memories - and some that aren't exactly hers.

 

Her eyes begin jumping around the office, more in response to rapidly searching her mind than in a search for something physical, and Odo stands patiently behind his desk with his head tilted in some kind of curious amusement. A vague memory from not too long before Jadzia had been killed hovers in her mind and Ezri's eyes squint in an attempt at making it clearer, as though she were looking at something in front of her. She opens her mouth to ask Odo something about the jar but changes her mind, instead thanking the Constable and rushing out the door when she notices Julian and Garak passing the office.

 

"Julian! Hey, wait up!" She startles several nearby people as she scurries after her friend, nodding at Garak as he and the doctor halt their movements. "Hello, Garak."

 

Garak greets her with a smile and a nod of his own, eyes dropping to the jar in her arms in barely concealed amusement.

 

"Hey Ezri," Julian says, eyes also dropping to her newest gift. "Nice jar."

 

"Yeah, yeah, listen," she says, face gone serious and contemplative. "Remember when you all retook the station from the Dominion?"

 

Julian's brows furrow, arms folding across his chest. "Kind of difficult to forget."

 

"Try impossible," Garak says, smile slowing smoothing into a bland look.

 

"Right, of course. Sorry, that came out wrong." Ezri grimaces. "It's just- after, when you were actually back on the station? Everyone had to clear out their quarters because they'd been used by the Dominion and their, uh, _associates_ , right?"

 

"Oh. Yes." Julian relaxes and drops his arms. "They all left quite the collective mess."

 

Garak nods in agreement, face growing thoughtful and lips twitching into a tiny, knowing smile as his eyes dart to the jar for a moment.

 

"And you called me- I mean _Jadzia_  over to your quarters to help clean up because your rooms seemed to have accumulated anything and everything that had, at some point, been scattered around the station."

 

"It took us _days_  to get things back to where they were when we'd been run off," Julian says, scrunching his nose. "And Jadzia hadn't even been the only one to help!"

 

Garak's smile has grown and Ezri knows she's on the right track because it's almost gone _innocent_. Overly so, in fact. He definitely knows, and he knows Ezri's knows.

 

"I'm pretty sure I remember who - at least, I _think_ I remember - but I'm not, like, a hundred percent sure..." Ezri cringes at her own rambling. "So, uh, who was it again who'd been staying in your quarters?"

 

Garak doesn't even try to hide his smirk when Julian replies. "Weyoun, lucky me. Turns out he had the habit of collecting random things so he could study them, or something. Why?"

 

She doesn't answer him right away, too busy trying to get her thoughts slowed below warp speed. She doesn't even attempt to stop the smile breaking across her face, choosing instead to simply stare for several long moments at the jar cradled against her chest. Her head lifts and she's just opening her mouth to explain everything to her friend when both of their comm badges go off with an order for all senior staff to report immediately to Ops.

 

Ezri shares a concerned look with Julian before turning to Garak with an unspoken question. He nods and she pushes her jar into his arms before taking off down the Promenade with the doctor.

 

* * *

 

It's hours later when the door to Ezri's quarters open to allow the tired Trill entry. She's on autopilot as she shuffles to her couch and collapses awkwardly against the cushions. Her eyes drift across the room, and she spends a moment to look at her new pet before falling to the jar sitting next to it on the table. She smiles despite herself because of course Garak would get it in here safe and sound even while the station is experiencing a relatively short but absolutely exhausting bout of chaos.

 

The situation hadn't been immediately dangerous in the sense of the imminent destruction of the station, but a very influential diplomat from a very trigger-happy species - with a very trigger-happy way of responding to things - accusing the station and, by natural extension, both Bajor and the Federation of abduction after their child had run off during dinner had been more than enough to warrant a station-wide game of hide-and-seek. It had all come to an utterly anticlimactic end when the diplomat, themself, had found their kid in their quarters, in bed and sleeping away without any idea of the madness going on on their behalf. It may have just been a misunderstanding caused by a tired child, but the threat of diplomatic war - if not physical war - and the very real concern that a child may have been in danger has left Ezri openly frustrated and stressed almost to the point of tears, both apparent enough that Julian actually used his medical authority to allow her a nights rest before completing her report.

 

She's just contemplating a move from couch to bed, or couch to more comfortable spot on couch - she's not picky - when her door chime sounds. She responds with some kind of mumbling groan she thinks comes out as a call to hold on a minute, and hopes whoever's on the other side understood.

 

Or at the very least _heard_  her.

 

She somehow manages to gather enough energy to pull herself up and makes a valiant, though mostly pathetic, attempt at looking somewhat presentable before calling the door open. Any attempts at appearing stable on her feet, however, are shot the moment the door permits the visitor entry, and she finds herself leaning heavily against the arm of the couch.

 

"Weyoun." She wants to say more but her voice won't work so she just focuses on not faceplanting into her gifted gastropod.

 

The Vorta hesitantly moves further into the room and smiles. "Hello, Lieutenant."

 

"Ezri." Her voice comes out croaky and broken but she actually said something, so it's an improvement.

 

"Ezri," Weyoun says with a smile, as if he himself had just been given a gift. Although, looking back on the past few days, maybe he had?

 

Ezri snaps herself out of her wandering thoughts when the man in front of her clears his throat awkwardly and takes another step forward.

 

"I heard what happened. Quite literally, in fact," he says, gesturing towards his ear. "And I also heard that the past few hours have left you, um, Rather upset? And near tears?"

 

Weyoun looks near tears himself at the thought of it, and Ezri's not sure how to respond so she just nods. It's only now that she notices the fabric clutched against his chest as Weyoun cautiously closes the distance between them.

 

"Well, in my mission to learn about the complicated custom of gift-giving," he says emphatically, "I was informed that, during times of distress, someone who has become upset by something will often seek comfort in another persons shoulder upon which to cry."

 

Ezri finds herself blinking in stunned silence as Weyoun steps up to her and begins fiddling with the material in his hands.

 

"I know I'm not yet educated in any sort of practice that involves sentimentality or some kind of empathetic response, but if you are upset then I want to change that." He lifts his hands and presents to her a simple tunic. "I have brought myself an extra shirt."

 

Ezri doesn't know what to say, probably couldn't say anything even if she did, so all that's left for her to do is to fall forward into Weyoun's chest and cling to him as tears fill her eyes - though probably not for the reasons he expects. She feels his body tense and the spare shirt drops to the floor as he moves to hold her just as tightly, most likely worried she may fall herself, as her face settles into the curve of his neck. Her legs are halfway to giving up completely so his concern is hardly misplaced, and she revels in the feeling of someone holding her steady.

 

"Thank you," she says, words muffled against Weyoun's skin before she pulls back to look him in the eye. "For everything."

 

The look of wonderment on the Vorta's face after she presses a kiss to his lips is something she'd do anything to see again, and she fully intends to find as many ways of making it reappear as possible. The giddiness bubbling inside her belly has her feeling almost high, but she still needs help moving when she invites Weyoun to cuddle with her on the couch - not that either of them are really complaining.

**Author's Note:**

> There's actually an unused scene from an episode in season 6 where Julian is clearing out his quarters after getting back on the station and it's full of things Weyoun 5 collected to study. How could I not do something with that?


End file.
